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Today's News - September 8, 2006

We lose a master and champion of historic preservation. -- The buzz is (mostly) good about Freedom Tower's little brothers. -- Coming home to Canada form Sweden, Hume feels like he's returned to the dark ages. -- Saffron finds finalists' designs for new "Thing That Is to Be Built at Sixth and Market" on Philadelphia's Independence Mall are neither memorials nor museums. -- Despite great acoustics and beautiful materials, Nashville's new concert hall "suffers from a bit of kitsch." -- In China's Commune by the Great Wall, a computer giant offers "rather lame vision of the digital future" (at least the architecture is interesting). - Forget earthquakes: "blitzkrieg archeology" is obliterating rather than rebuilding Myanmar's cultural treasures. -- Bucharest struggles to manage chaotic development; even smart plans stymied by lack of interest. -- Rybczynski explores how small details make great architects. -- Weekend diversions: In Venice, Boddy brings us Canada's fluffy Sweaterlodge, and Denmark designs a new China. -- Foster on view in Toronto. -- At Yale's concrete Art & Architecture Building, "a small exhibit shows that concrete needn't be misused so sorely."

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Obituary: Richard Blinder, 71, Architect of Cultural Buildings -- Beyer Blinder Belle- New York Times

Celebrity Architects Unveil Designs for Three WTC Office Towers: Those who hoped these singular architectural talents would salvage the emotion and drama that has drained from Daniel Libeskind's master plan will be largely disappointed. By James S. Russell -- Norman Foster; Richard Rogers; and Fumihiko Maki- Bloomberg News

A First Look at Freedom Tower’s Neighbors: The three skyscrapers would serve as steppingstones to the Freedom Tower and with it remake the New York skyline. -- Libeskind; Foster; Maki, Rogers; Calatrava; Childs; Gehry [slide show]- New York Times

‘A Certain Grace' Starts To Come Into Focus: ...none of the buildings...is outstanding or even self-consciously "iconic"...And yet...each demonstrates a certain grace and distinction...allow us to understand and admire the intelligence of Daniel Libeskind's master plan...that downward spiral... By James Gardner -- David Childs/Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; Norman Foster; Richard Rogers; Fumihiko Maki- New York Sun

Canada, it's time to grow up: Coming back to Canada after a couple of weeks in Sweden is like returning to the dark ages...fallen so far behind the civilized world that it's no longer simply embarrassing, it's alarming. By Christopher Hume- Toronto Star

A historic site that has defied designers: President's House memorial...None of the designs manages to strike the perfect balance between the site's colliding themes: the birth of our democracy and the congenital taint of slavery. By Inga Saffron -- Kelly/Maiello; Amaze Design; Davis Buckley; Ewing Cole; Howard + Revis [slide show, link]- Philadelphia Inquirer

From Prussia With Love: Despite its roundly hailed acoustics and beautiful materials, the Schermerhorn suffers from a bit of kitsch -- David M. Schwarz Architectural Services; Earl Swensson Associates- Nashville Scene

Communing with the future: Commune by the Great Wall...The result is 12 monuments to architects' egos...Hewlett-Packard has entered this modern architecture museum to showcase the next frontier - the digital home...rather lame vision of the digital future...At least the architecture is interesting.- New Zealand Herald

From Ruins to Ruined: Myanmar's regime is obliterating a cultural treasure as it `rebuilds' ancient temples to bring in tourists. Experts are aghast -- and uninvited...Bagan is now in danger of becoming a temple theme park..."blitzkrieg archeology." -- Pierre Pichard- Los Angeles Times

Bucharest - the city where anything goes: Will it be possible to manage the chaos of development in the capital? ...the city’s aesthetics are now best described as ‘eclectic’ and at worst ‘chaotic’. -- Radu-Petre Nastase; Edmond Desliu; Adrian Bold- The Diplomat (Romania)

“We could not realise one single project”: After winning a prestigious award to redesign the urban zone of Bucharest, Meinhard von Gerkan found the lack of interest... -- GM; Adest Consulting; Alpha Studio; Chapman Taylor; RMJM; CF Moller Architects- The Diplomat (Romania)

Upstairs, Downstairs: How small details make great architects. By Witold Rybczynski -- Mies van der Rohe; Le Corbusier; Richard Meier; Robert A.M. Stern; Enrique Norten/TEN Arquitectos; I.M. Pei; Tadao Ando; Renzo Piano; Alvar Aalto; Jeremiah Eck [slide show essay]- Slate

Fuzzy, fluffy architecture that wears well: An enormous orange sweater by Vancouver architects Pechet + Robb hangs in Canada's Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, challenging our notions of shelter. By Trevor Boddy- Globe and Mail (Canada)

Denmark's architects design a new China: The nation's contribution to the 10th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale is a unique partnership between Danish studios and Chinese universities -- Cerba/Tsinghua University; Effekt/Tongji University; Cobe/Chongqing University; Transform/Xauat University- Denmark.dk

"Norman Foster: Gliding Through Space": Details of Leslie Dan Pharmacy Building design on display [image, link]- University of Toronto

“Team 10: A Utopia of the Present”: On the first floor of the imposing, concrete Art & Architecture Building...a small exhibit shows that concrete needn’t be misused so sorely.- Yale Daily News

INSIGHT: Sounding Good: Inspired by the classics: Nashville's new Schermerhorn Symphony Center. By Paul Scarbrough -- David M. Schwarz; Akustiks; Fisher Dachs- ArchNewsNow

Please Walk on the Grass: Recreation and Play in the Contemporary City: An exhibition explores the reinvention of urban public spaces to meet the demands of 21st century recreation and leisure. By Zoë Ryan -- Ábalos & Herreros; Acconci Studio; Adjaye/Associates; Stan Allen Architects; ATOPIA; Diller Scofidio + Renfro; FAT; Thomas Heatherwick; Walter Hood; Martha Schwartz; SHoP Architects; Ken Smith; Weiss/Manfredi; West 8 [images]- ArchNewsNow

-- Inauguration: SANAA / Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa: Glass Pavilion, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio
-- Book: Fornasetti: Conversation with Philippe Starck By Brigitte Fitoussi

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